Death's Other Sting

Inheritance tax used to make the news only when it forced once super-rich dynasties to flog their heirlooms after the head of the family died. But suddenly, death is getting expensive for a much larger number of Europeans, and that's starting to attract the attention of politicians and headline writers across the Continent. Furious discussions about whether to limit, amend or suppress inheritance taxes broke out last week in both Britain and France. In Italy, meanwhile, there's controversy and skepticism about plans by the new government[an error occurred while processing this directive] of Romano Prodi to reinstate the inheritance tax abolished by former Prime Minister...